Application of Thin Film Concepts to Explore Additional Compound Semiconductor Nanowires

Abstract

  From around the beginning of this century, semiconductor nanowires have been paid attention as a promising building block for nanotechnology. They have realized ultra-small and functional electronic and photonic devices, utilizing their self-assembled nanoscale 1-dimensional structure applicable to charge carriers and optical waveguides. On the other hand, thin-film GaAs-related compound semiconductor heterostructures had realized high-speed and high-efficiency devices, e. g., lasers, sensors, transistors, electro-optical modulators, and solar cells. Over the past decades, the function of GaAs was extended by the introduction of small amount of nitrogen and bismuth. Diluting those materials provides the greater tunability of band gap and strain status, or is expected to suppress non-radiative recombination. Selective oxidation for Al-rich AlGaAs is a vital technique for vertical surface emitting lasers, enabling the optical and electrical confinement, heat transfer, and mechanical robustness. The author tried to introduce the above thin-film technology to extend the functions of compound semiconductor nanowires.